Day: July 8, 2024

General Abbas Ibrahim received in his office the Vicar General of the the Antonine Maronite Order and the President of the Antonine Art Institute, Beirut Father Boutros Azar, along with the Institute’s Director, Father Charbel Bou Abboud. Fathers Azar and Bou Abboud thanked General Ibrahim for his visit to the Antonine Art Institute and his participation in a seminar on “Defining Human Rights in Lebanon: Rights and Duties.”

They briefed General Ibrahim on the schedule of activities carried out by the Institute in various artistic, social, cultural, and national fields.

Father Azar emphasized the Institute’s role in serving humanity and its aspirations to build a nation based on the principles of dialogue, encounter, and solidarity through joint artistic and cultural endeavors.

For his part, General Ibrahim expressed his pleasure in visiting the Antonine Art Institute, touring the Icon Workshop, getting acquainted with the artists and staff in its various departments, and reviewing the diverse activities of
the Institute, all of which contribute to the welfare of humanity and the nation.

Source: National news agency – Lebanon

At the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) provided a variety of health and training services to 1,400 Syrian refugees during its 27th volunteer program.

The health services included specialized clinics, while training courses ranged from electrical work and carpentry to sewing and even football refereeing, in collaboration with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and the West Asian Football Federation.

The program is part of the Kingdom’s ongoing humanitarian efforts to support Syrian refugees and promote volunteerism as a core value in society.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief ) distributed 1,502 food baskets to displaced families in Gezira State, Republic of Sudan, benefiting 10,384 individuals, as part of the second phase of the project to support food security in Sudan.

The assistance comes within the framework of the relief efforts provided by the Kingdom through its humanitarian arm, KSrelief, to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people amid the humanitarian crisis.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has sent a cable of condolences and sympathy to Amir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on the death of Sheikh Ali Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah.

In the cable the King said, “We have been informed of the news of the death of Sheikh Ali Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, and as we send to Your Highness and the family of the deceased our deepest and sincere condolences, we pray to Allah Almighty to bestow His mercy on his soul and to protect you from any harm.”

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC) has arrested a resident of Pakistani nationality in the Eastern Region attempting to sell 7 kilograms of the narcotic substance methamphetamine (Shabu). Legal action was taken, and he was referred to Public Prosecution.

Citizens and residents are urged to report any information pertaining to drug smuggling or related activities. Reports can be made by contacting emergency numbers 911 in Makkah, Riyadh, and the Eastern regions, or 999 in other regions of the Kingdom. Additionally, reports can be submitted to the General Directorate of Narcotics Control hotline 995 or via email at 995@gdnc.gov.sa. All reports will be handled with utmost confidentiality.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority announced the completion of the second phase of the “Rangers Development Program,” which involved training 56 individuals from the rangers’ team at its headquarters in Riyadh. The aim was to enhance their capabilities to strengthen their role in protecting and developing the environment in accordance with the best local and international practices, aligning with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the comprehensive strategic targets for 2030 for royal reserves.

The second phase follows the first phase of the program held May 29. Rangers play a pivotal role in environmental protection and raising awareness among reserve visitors. Therefore, the authority worked to select them from local communities to empower them and involve them in protecting and developing the environment, preserving the safety and security of visitors and users of the reserve, raising awareness about behaviors that impact the environment and wildlife, monitoring and recordin
g various violations, assessing the level of cleanliness within the reserve, and maintaining the security and safety of the authority’s facilities.

In the second phase, local and international specialists and experts delivered several courses, totaling 16 training hours. The courses covered: identifying types of plants and wildlife, community development, dealing effectively with violators, managing effective patrols, identifying hunting sites (vital sites), the mechanism for reporting violations, knowing and monitoring the impact of violators on wildlife, introducing them to the concept of the visitor experience and dealing with it, and photography.

The authority aimed to establish and qualify rangers to be the pioneers of nature conservation, in line with international standards and specifications. In February 2023, it completed the qualification of the first group of 28 “reserve rangers,” who underwent an intensive training program that lasted for more than 150 theoretical and practical training hours. T
o improve the quality of its output, the training program was divided into two parts: “field training” and “electronic training.” At the end of the program, the trainees obtained a “Certified Environmental Inspector” license from the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC).

Source: Saudi Press Agency

During the month of June, the Jeddah Municipality carried out more than 12,000 inspection tours on commercial and health facilities within 11 sub-municipalities.

Jeddah Municipality Official Spokesman Mohamed bin Obaid Al-Buqami stressed that the city will continue intensifying its inspection efforts with the aims of raising the compliance rate of commercial and health facilities, maintaining food security and safety, and improving the quality of services provided to citizens and visitors. He indicated that during the past month, 10,632 health facilities and 1,503 commercial facilities were visited, and 116 facilities were closed due to violations.

Al-Buqami added that the monitoring tours resulted in the registration of 18,346 violations, which included failure to obtain or renew health certificates, violations of health requirements, and poor preservation and storage.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Presidency of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque has launched the first religious initiative titled “Venerating the Grand Mosque” as part of the Umrah season plan for the year 1446 AH.

The President of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, elaborated that the initiative includes a package of enriching religious, historical, scientific, and guidance paths about the Grand Mosque. It aims to educate people about ways to sanctify, honor, and venerate the mosque through worship, circumambulation, ablution, and Holy Kaaba Kiswa (Covering). The initiative is designed to enrich the experience of the pilgrims and visitors and to convey the message and guidance of the Grand Mosque to the world using technology, modern media, and artificial intelligence.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Saudi Real Estate Institute (SREI), the academic arm of the Saudi Real Estate General Authority (REGA), has achieved the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 certification for quality management and services. This certification pertains to developing and providing training programs for professionals in the Saudi real estate sector, aligning with unified international standards.

According to the Institute, the American Systems Registrar (ASR) conducted an external review and recommended granting the certification. By obtaining this certification, the Institute aims to offer globally competitive training programs for real estate professionals in Saudi Arabia while adhering to relevant standards and requirements. The Institute also seeks to enhance the quality of its services and work to the highest standards.

The application of global competitive standards is seen as a significant advancement to align with the best practices in the field and to increase the confidence of practiti
oners in the real estate sector in the Kingdom. Additionally, this move demonstrates the Institute’s commitment to achieving institutional excellence and developing highly skilled professionals in various real estate activities, thereby contributing to the sustainability and growth of the sector while enhancing its employees’ reliability and competence.

The certification obtained by the Institute is highly esteemed and is granted after fulfilling numerous global requirements. It guarantees the reliability of the comprehensive strategic vision of the real estate sector and the quality of the services provided to beneficiaries. The American Systems Registrar (ASR) is recognized as one of the strongest and most reputable accreditation entities worldwide, placing the certificate holder among similar global entities that have obtained the same certificate.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Woolf Institute at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdim yesterday hosted the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL) and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars, Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa.

During the main session, Al-Issa discussed items of the Makkah Declaration and addressed several international topics related to the document’s content. He went over the understanding of differences and diversity and how to deal with its cosmic inevitability, as well as the issues of migration, climate change, hate speech, the legitimate empowerment of women in Islam, and raising awareness among Muslim youth and non-Muslims about the teachings of Islam.

Al-Issa highlighted the MWL’s initiative, welcomed by the United Nations General Secretariat, which was held at its headquarters in New York with a significant global presence. This initiative aimed to build bridges of understanding and peace between the East and the West.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Arab Administrative Development Organization (ARADO) organized 180 training and diploma programs in the first half of this year.

The programs were attended by 780 trainees from ministries and agencies of Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Libya, Yemen, Oman, and Egypt. The training covered a wide range of topics, such as electronic management skills, smart technology for measuring institutional performance, and administrative process engineering.

They also include leadership development, decision-making, strategic thinking, smart systems in education, strategic human resources management, advanced financial management, government sector risk management, modern auditing methods, legal affairs and industrial security, and public relations management.

Source: Saudi Press Agency